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Man’s estate
“I set forth a humble and inglorious life; that does not matter. You can tie up all moral philosophy with a common and private life just as well as with a life of richer stuff. Each man bears the entire form of man’s estate.” III.2 “Of repentance” (p. 740)
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Monsters
“What we call monsters are not so to God, who sees in the immensity of his work the infinity of forms that he has comprised in it; and it is for us to believe that this figure that astonishes us is related and linked to some other figure of the same kind unknown to man.”…
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Evil means to a good end
“However, the weakness of our condition often pushes us to the necessity of using evil means to a good end.” II. 23 “Of evil means employed to a good end” (p. 629)
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Cowardice, mother of cruelty
“I have often heard it said that cowardice is the mother of cruelty… I have observed that some of the most cruel are subject weeping easily and for frivolous reasons.” II. 27 “Cowardice mother of cruelty” (p. 635)
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What we call monsters
“What we call monsters are not so to God, who sees in the immensity of his work the infinity of forms that he has comprised in it…From his infinite wisdom there proceeds nothing but that is good and ordinary and regular…We call contrary to nature what happens contrary to custom; nothing is anything but according…
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We are nothing but ceremony
“We are nothing but ceremony; ceremony carries us away, and we leave the substance of things; we hang on to the branches and abandon the trunk and body.” II.17 “Of presumption” (581).
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Our minute distinctions
“… the world lets itself be so easily tricked, believing that our losses affect heaven, and that its infinity is impassioned about our minute distinctions.” II.13 “Of judging of the death of others” (p. 558)
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Whatever side we lean to
“Because in human matters, whatever side we lean to, we find many probabilities to confirm us in it…” II.17 “Of presumption” (pp. 603)
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Born in a very depraved time
“Misfortune has its uses. It is good to be born in a very depraved time, for by comparison with others, you are considered virtuous for a cheap price. Anyone who is only a parricide and sacrilegious in our days is a good and honorable man.” II.17 “Of presumption” (pp. 595)
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The universe suffers by our annihilation
“It seems that the universe somehow suffers by our annihilation and that is has compassion for our state.” II. 13 “Of judging the death of others” (p. 556)